Destination Alaska. They’re Heee-eere.

3092008

Alaska State Senate President, and Wasilla Republican Lyda Green

Our sleepy, uneventful state in the upper left corner of the continent has suddenly, strangely, become the center of the political universe. Tourist season is technically over, but media season has now begun, and has brought with it a host of outsiders.

First, is the belated McCain vetting team, that landed yesterday, presumably to fan out across the state, talking to Republican party officials, Palin insiders, and critics, to do some fact finding, damage control, and bargaining. Will Lyda Green, the State Senate President, fellow Wasilla Republican, and harsh Palin critic suddenly stop talking and become the next ambassador to Palau?

Then there’s progressive talk show icon Ed Schulz. He’s hosting a town hall meeting at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. A thousand Alaskans will cough up between $25 and $100 to stand before the microphone and tell the world exactly what they think of Sarah Palin. The show will be played back on September 15th. Should be interesting. And yes, I’ve got my tickets.

Next, are the folks from The Nation magazine. They know exactly what the McCain team is up to, and they will be doing damage control on the damage control, and reporting as much as possible on the back room dealings that are sure to be happening very soon.

And of course, the ultimate vetting team, The National Enquirer, is already here. Who knows, they may have even been here first. We don’t know. They work in mysterious ways. After the Edwards debacle, in which the Enquirer scooped the entire Main Stream Media, and gave themselves a peculiar sort of political ‘cred’, people will be listening closely to what they have to say. These are the folks who have no hesitation getting down in the dirt and asking all those questions that make the main stream media, and most bloggers cringe. It’s hard to draw the line between what’s off-limits and what can be used legitimately to illustrate judgment, and decision making ability. To the Enquirer, nothing is off-limits. They will be busy people… The newest rumors starting to get teeth involve Track Palin and 3 friends being arrested for vandalizing several school buses. Troopers showed up. And yes, this is Mike Wooten’s area. Bus-gate. And despite the admission that Bristol is pregnant, rumors that Trig is not Sarah’s baby persist.

Not used to being in the spotlight, or feeling like anyone is particularly interested in what we have to say, I’m sure there will be many Alaskans perfectly pleased to spill their guts to whoever asks a question. The media will have a field day. Whatever happens with the election, Alaskans will be talking about this for years.

Helpful hint: If any of the media wants to stay under the radar, they’d better not show up in suits, ties, or makeup. Dead giveaway.

I bet the Hickels are thrilled. Somebody better warn the “objective” media not to stay at the Capitan Cook.

I find this all deeply embarrassing. Alaskans (perhaps not Palin!) are so much better than the trashy angle the media is taking. To quote Obama – Alaskans are better than these last eight …. people. (The Palin’s and Levi!)

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Mollys Mum(10:51:46) :

This is sure to be the most unproductive period of my life.
You’re all I need to get by.

Please speak up, all of you, if you know something. I worked for Enron and saw all kinds of questionable corporate acts and never said anything…I just thought that because the guys in charge were doing it, it was OK. Turns out, it was not OK. I lost my 401K money and so did my 40,000 co-workers, the company went bankrupt, the guys in charge are in jail or disgraced or out there enjoying the millions they pilfered. Don’t get intimidated. This whole thing smells funny down here in the Lower 48, and we’re just getting pieces of it. We want to hear the truth. Thanks.

keep up the great work. stumbled upon your blog and have already put up a link via lj and facebook. kudos!!

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tammy(10:59:41) :

Do we now have special education gate? Or better yet a huge slash in the special ed budget? From firstread:

Sarah Palin Slashed Special Needs Education by 62%

For those of you who seem so enamored with Gov. Sarah Palin, it might be worth noting that she oversees the budget for the Department of Education and Early Development Special Schools in Alaska.
These funds provide supplementary educational services to students with severe disabling conditions and the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy. The resident school where the child would normally be placed does not have the resources to provide an adequate educational program. Without the supplementary services the child’s needs would not be met by the local school district in most cases.
The following programs are included within this component:
Special Education Service Agency (SESA)

This is a cut in special needs services to children in Alaska of 5,109,300 , or 62%.

So, as the Alaska State Budget description states, “Without the supplementary services the child’s needs would not be met by the local school district in most cases.”

Did 62% of all of the special needs children in Alaska stop having needs once Gov. Palin took office?

Before we get so excited about Gov. Palin bring her “Reformer” agenda to Washington, perhaps we should get to know a little more about what exactly that means to our children, and the opportunities that she would “Reform”.

If you ask me, a 62% cut in these funds, which we all know are so desperately scarce, and for which we all have to fight tooth and nail for our children, is a disgrace.

TheraP
I’ve linked in the post to The Ed Schulz Show website where you can get tickets and information. I can’t wait. There will be lots of good material there.

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akmuckraker(11:04:16) :

The story about Palin wanting to ban books in the Wasilla Public Library and firing the librarian who wouldn’t comply because she wasn’t “supportive” is coming out in the MSM now. Time Magazine picked it up.

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DS(11:06:28) :

How do we know where Palin stands on major issues if she was never a Senator or Representative with a voting record? She apparently never wrote articles on her political views. My sense of her is that she’s an opportunist and will adapt to whatever viewpoint gets the most votes or funding.

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Proud2BUSA(11:07:34) :

I have to agree with Mollys Mum ;P We are all stuck to our TVs, blogs, wikis, we can’t get anything done!!!

Couple of things, Mudflats:
– can’t the hospital VERIFY who the mother of that baby is? It just seems odd – and I sure would want the birth certificate NOW versus after the spin doctors arrive. I tried to pull up some things this morning from one of the posts last evening, and the docs have been removed. So get it now!
– CNN is showing a lot of “Go Sarah!” “We love you, Sarah!” from Wasilla (I’m guessing here) What is the sentiment up there overall?
– Did any of Bristol’s friends talk about a friend being pregnant? In pictures last year, did she look pregnant? SOMEBODY had to see the labor somewhere – right?
– Where are Levi’s parents in all of this hoopla? I bet they wish they had reminded their son of the old saying: “Don’t lose your head over a little bit of tail” right about now.

In my mind, as long as Palin and McCain keep parading the families out, they are fair game. I’m sorry – but this is politics – and it’s critical to understand not only one’s platform, but what drives a candidate. We all “got” W when he came right out and said: “…my brother promised me Florida…I get Florida!” and again, when he said: “…Saddam tried to kill my daddy…” Not to say it was easier to take, but at least we UNDERSTOOD his thought process a little better. That’s all we’re asking here.

Last, how can any Republican talk about “reform” when they’ve controlled the White House and given Bush everything he’s wanted for the past 8 years?

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooo, Mudflats! You’re a barrel of fun for those of us who have a lot to do but just can’t tear ourselves away from the laptop!

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audiored(11:07:35) :

Still to me the most dangerous, depending on the extent of the affiliation, is Palin’s relationship with the Alaska Independence party.

3092008

Miemaw from Texas(11:08:16) :

I was reminded from a book I’m currently reading, about that “Anthrax” thing that nobody has really been able to solve. What I was reminded about was that during all that time, there was anthrax sent to what everybody thought was some “obscure” building down in Florida. Turns out, it was the building that housed “The National Enquirer. ” At least one person died, and it took weeks, with the building being shut down, to de-contaminate it, and before it became operational again.

I don’t know if the so-called “mainstream media” has become more tabloid, and more like the Enquirer; or that the Enquirer, these days is what we are looking at — as mainstream. What I do know is that the Enquirer does ask the questions that other “reporters” won’t.

The Enquirer, from what I read on Buzzflash.com, already had the story on “baby-gate” and told the Governor they were going to publish it. It didn’t seem to be much of a secret. Seems like the whole town of Wasilla knew. Palin pre-empted the Enquirer (so the story goes) and made the announcement herself.

Does anybody know if Governor Palin, like John McCain, is totally computer illiterate? Did she think we would all have to make the trip to Alaska to find out about her, and her family?

ST. PAUL, Minn. — John McCain’s campaign on Wednesday angrily called for an end to questions about its review of Sarah Palin’s background, deriding a “faux media scandal designed to destroy the first female Republican nominee” for vice president.

Frontiersman Editorial Said Palin Made Statements That Were “Patently Untrue,” Said She Had Shown “Unrepentant Backpedaling and Incessant Whining.” A Frontiersman editorial wrote, “Wasilla residents have been subjected to attempts to unlawfully appoint council members, statements that have been shown to be patently untrue, unrepentant backpedaling, and incessant whining that her only enemies are the press and a few disgruntled supporters of former Mayor John Stein.” [Frontiersman editorial, 2/7/97]

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Proud2BUSA(11:12:10) :

I agree Audiored – we need to get back to the issues. That one along with the potential banning of books and firing anybody who challenged or dared to stand up to her is a bit scary. Sounds like she did a couple of good things (built the Sports Arena that got Wasilla a minor league Hockey Team) but if she campaigned on her religion and inserted all that “fear and fire and brimstone” stuff into her rhetoric, we need to know. Obama is correct – NOT ONCE LAST EVENING AT THE RNC was the economy mentioned. Not ONCE did they acknowledge the trouble that Republican has got us into after 8 years of THEIR candidate, George Bush.

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Simple Simon(11:14:30) :

Tourist season?

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sheesh(11:15:33) :

Audiored,

I agree completely. While the salacious info on the the ‘babygate’ issues are intriguing and certainly hold some evidence of a credibility problem with Palin, I am far more interested in finding out more about her connections to the AIP. Ultimately it’s not the Bristol problem which will concern voters but these unsettling connections to a disturbing and essentially anti-American movement. There is an excellent YouTube video showing Palin addressing the AIP convention that certainly give creedance to her affiliation with the organization, if not as a current member but as one who embraces their ideals…disturbing stuff.

I’ll leave the babygate stuff to the National Equirer…they did a fine job with John Edwards and if there’s any meat to the story I’m convinced they’re the ones who ferret it out for the rest of us.

I have sent all my friends to this site. You have fans all over the world! Keep up the excellent work!

3092008

catislander(11:16:43) :

Highlights from today’s Los Angeles Times:

“Taylor Griffin, a McCain campaign spokesman, said that when Palin became mayor in 1996, “she faced a system that was broken. Small towns like Wasilla in Alaska depended on earmarks to take care of basic needs. . . . That was something that Gov. Palin was alarmed about and was one of the formative experiences that led her toward the reform-oriented stance that she has taken as her career has progressed.”

Palin, he said, was “disgusted” that small towns like hers were dependent on earmarks.

Public records paint a different picture:

Wasilla had received few if any earmarks before Palin became mayor. She actively sought federal funds — a campaign that began to pay off only after she hired a lobbyist with close ties to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who long controlled federal spending as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He made funneling money to Alaska his hallmark.

Steven Silver was a former chief of staff for Stevens. After he was hired, Wasilla obtained funding for several projects in 2002, including an additional $600,000 in transportation funding.

That year, a local water and sewer project received $1.5 million, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, which combs federal spending measures to identify projects inserted by congressional members.”

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cydonia(11:19:21) :

DS

“How do we know where Palin stands on major issues if she was never a Senator or Representative with a voting record? ”

So far I have found; God made everything 6000 years ago, war is good, birth control is bad, classical literature is icky-poo and needs to be removed from the libraries.

She really didn’t have any thoughts on the surge in Iraq. She’s relying on God to come up with a plan for victory for an illegal invasion based in lies.

One source of her stands on the issues has been taken down.
———————-

Website with Speeches and Sermons from Palin’s Former Church Shuts Down as Religious Views of Candidate Face Scrutiny

Joe Vogler began arguing about the validity of the Alaskan statehood vote in 1973. Early in that year, he began circulating a petition seeking support for secession of Alaska from the United States. Alaska magazine published a piece at that time in which Vogler claimed to have gathered 25,000 signatures in 3 weeks.

During the 1970s, Vogler founded Alaskans for Independence to actively pursue secession for Alaska from the United States. In 1984,[1] he founded the AIP to explore whether the 1958 vote by Alaskans authorizing statehood was legal.

The Alaskan Independence Party quotes Vogler as stating “I’m an Alaskan, not an American. I’ve got no use for America or her damned institutions.”[3] [4]

Vogler would serve as the AIP’s standard-bearer for most of the party’s first two decades. He ran for governor in 1974, with Wayne Peppler as his running mate. Jay Hammond was elected over incumbent governor William Egan, with Vogler trailing far behind. Typical political discussion of the day contended that Vogler was a “spoiler,” and that the result would have been different had he not been in the race. However, this campaign opened up the doors for non-major party candidates to run for major offices in Alaska, and generally this accusation is leveled during every election cycle.

Vogler’s running mate in 1986 was Al Rowe, a Fairbanks resident and former Alaska State Trooper. Rowe took out a series of newspaper ads, fashioning himself in the image of Sheriff Buford Pusser. These ads were a major attention getter during the race. Between Rowe’s ads and the turmoil existing in the Republican Party over the nomination of Arliss Sturgulewski, the AIP gained 5.2 percent of the vote, becoming a recognized party in Alaska for the first time.

It’s hilarious that in five days Alaska has become the ‘it’ capital of America…

This election (regardless of outcome) will probably be talked about for years…

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Kay(11:23:37) :

The scenario originally posted over the weekend remains true, despite the Republicans’ claims to the contrary. Sarah Palin was not vetted at all. The McCain campaign chose her out of panic and only because she agreed to take the job after Lieberman folded and every other logical candidate removed themselves from contention in order to plan their own 2012 election strategies.

DO NOT FEAR the Republican MSM predictions of an evangelical Christian backlash, for that is merely their standard pronouncement when they are cornered. Pay no attention to compromised media polls of ‘likely voters’, for these are based on a paradigm of the past and say nothing of the future. Recall how Rove and the Republicans claimed that they won 2004 only because they managed to motivate the 4 million evangelicals who didn’t vote in 2000. There are no more millions of evangelicals to motivate this time, but there are millions and millions of concerned and motivated voters, rich and poor, young and old, who will vote in this election for the first time ever, and they are voting for Obama and for change.

3092008

PalinGate(11:24:00) :

New York Times has an article about the firing of the Librarian, among other things!

The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to “resist all efforts at censorship,” Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article.

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PalinGate(11:25:09) :

New York Times is carrying the story of the librarian who was fired for speaking out against censorship…

The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to “resist all efforts at censorship,” Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article.

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PalinGate(11:25:34) :

New York Times is carrying the story of the librarian who was fired for speaking out against censorship…

The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to “resist all efforts at censorship,” Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article.

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Dish it(11:26:13) :

September 2007.

What was happening last September?

Since this baby Trig was born in April, September would have been about the time that the pregnancy was discovered.

Track Palin enlisted in the army last September and the press at the time said he wanted to keep his reasons private.

An amnio might be performed on a teen if paternity were a question. I mean, if the parents of the baby’s father wanted it proven to them that their son was the father. Would explain doing an amnio on a teen. Down’s is discovered in the meantime.

I’m falling more into the “Track is the father of Trig” camp.

Mother unknown, however. But I’m sure some locals can make educated guesses.

In her 2002 Lt. Governor bid, Mayor Palin used city employees, telephones, computers, fax machines for campaign fundraising and literature. On her candidate registration form, she used her City Hall fax number, and her mayoral e-mail address. Records show that Wasilla city property was used to contact supporters, donors, media contacts, and media purchasing. [Anchorage Daily News, 7/21/06]

I think they should go to Sedona and find out what really happened. That’s the place for Power Spots, Pyramids, Ley lines, etc. Was it any coincidence that a sudden declaration of international importance was made from Sedona?

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Ian(11:33:59) :

Ok, I know I’m bat-shit crazy because I won’t be satisfied until I see indepentant results from maternity tests and a bigfoot corpse, but can someone from the explain this from 3 days before Trig was born? Anyone from Fairbanks FD out there?

Help! My head won’t stop shaking back and forth! I’m turning into a
bobble-head!

Sheesh.

I’ve spent this whole day calling and sending emails to everyone I could think of in the MSM.

Everytime I check in here there has been a new blog post (thank you so much for keeping us informed – you and others who post here are the true American hero’s of this election).

I’m truly dreading tonight’s speech.

The more I learn about Ms. Palin the angrier I’m getting.

What a mockery of America John McCain has made with his selection of this running mate.

That’s right, I’m putting it right back on the candidate where it belongs.

How dare he do this? How dare his little parrots keep squawking their B as in B, S as in S party line?

How low does he think America has to sink before it meets his America First threshold.

What an ass.

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NCJJ(11:38:22) :

I love your blog. Stumbled across it a couple of days ago, and now like most commenters I find myself coming back daily. One of my lifelong dearest friends lives in (and is a native of) Anchorage (I’m all the way over on the other coast…); she and I have dished daily on the Palin nomination via e-mail. Your blog rounds out the information nicely.

I cracked up at your comment about suits and make-up. And the “ultimate vetting team – the National Enquirer”. Good luck up there … with the MSM and tabloid hordes descending, you’ll need it!

3092008

kimbers(11:39:06) :

sorry for the mini rant. I’m going to take a short break now. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…

Love the blog! Can’t believe the Waterbreak Gate rumors are still persisting. Or maybe I can.

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Eeecee(11:42:14) :

So NOT pregnant. By the way, that child was not “early” – he weighed 6 lbs 2 oz. Add that into your calculations.

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Eeecee(11:44:22) :

Just took a moment to e-mail Lyda Green, encouraging her to speak up. Hope that y’all can do the same.

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PalinGate(11:44:58) :

McCain is a MORON for canceling tonight’s Larry King Live interview. He must have forgotten that WE THE PEOPLE will determine whether or not he gets elected. I will NOT vote for a President who REPRIMANDS freedom of speech.

I will say this…. CNN has my devoted attention for being the ONLY network to ask the hard questions. I hope ALL the readers who are reading this tune into CNN to support free speech.

3092008

Lurker(11:45:34) :

I don’t know what all this jawing is about? From what I have heard
about so far she is more than ready to be a republican VP,

Have secret meetings with oil companies. Check
Use your power to “go after” adversaries. Check
Shoot people in the face. Check “yep” yep”

3092008

Maia(11:46:48) :

Mudflats, I have to tell you that this is one of my favorite blogs these days. Thank you so much for keeping us up to speed on all of this. It’s great to be able to hear from a local who writes well and gets what’s going on.

Anyone happen to see the Today Show this morning? Walt Monegan confirmed that he was pressured by Palin, the First Dude and her staff. Pressure from conversations AND in terms of withheld monies to his Department of Safety due to his refusal to terminate trooper Wooten.

I foresee the Enquirer moving their world headquarters to Alaska. Sad. Very sad.

3092008

mde(11:50:55) :

Ian (11:33:59)

Sorry to disappoint. The timestamp is when the page was updated, not when the picture was taken. I found the same picture here with a caption that reads “E-3 crew (Capt. Davis, Driver White, FF Hamlin) and FFD BC Drygas pose for a picture with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin when she was in Fairbanks last summer.”

At the Corner, the National Review’s group blog, Byron York poses a hypothetical worth considering, especially because the right’s pushback on the various controversies surrounding Sarah Palin has so much to do with the reaction by liberals and the media:

Perhaps I’m focusing on an irrelevant issue, but the presence, or non-presence, of [Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol Palin’s unborn child] on the stage tonight strikes me as important. It’s one thing for delegates to be understanding and compassionate about the fix these two teenagers have gotten themselves into. It’s another to actually celebrate it. And, given what we’ve learned in the last few days, if Johnston is up on stage with his girlfriend and the Palin family, and Republicans are wildly cheering, it will certainly look like they are celebrating this situation.

I don’t usually engage in these scenarios, but I’ll do it here. If the Obamas had a 17 year-old daughter who was unmarried and pregnant by a tough-talking black kid, my guess is if that they all appeared onstage at a Democratic convention and the delegates were cheering wildly, a number of conservatives might be discussing the issue of dysfunctional black families.

Reported in Salon.com War Room

Yep. What I’ve been saying all along.

Cue “America the Beautiful” music and flag video backdrop…

“LADI-EEEEEEEES AND GENTLEMEN, LET US NOW EXTEND A WARM GOP CONVENTION FAMILY VALUES WELCOME TO THE YOUNG MAN WHO’S BEEN FUCKING THE GOVERNOR’S TEENAGE DAUGHTER!!!…”

3092008

kimbers(11:57:24) :

Palingate- I take it that Kyra Sedgewicks fluff piece that was just on wasn’t what you meant. She was fawning and the interviews they showed were only supporters. … not making for much of a break! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr… LOL!

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bambambam(11:57:43) :

Ohhh, AKM, I will be buying your book in four months, right?

3092008

Susan(11:58:29) :

This ought to be good!

I know with two months to go, anything can happen…but…according to pollster.com, McCain has virtually no chance.

Keep us posted!

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Ian(12:00:11) :

Thanks, mde.

I thought it a bit too damning to be true.

I still don’t believe it’s hers though 🙂

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MJC(12:00:32) :

If Palin slashed the funding for the Special Needs kids, wouldn’t that affect kid’s like baby Trig?

“Do We Need Change, You’re Damn Right We Do, And The World Needs Us To Change, Now!!”

3092008

PalinGate(12:02:09) :

Kimbers, I JUST WATCHED THAT, too!!! BOTH reporters CNN just showed in Alaska were practically sucking Sarah Palin’s d$%#. WTF??? If CNN is willing to be reprimanded by an old fart, then they aren’t worth my viewing.

Thank goodness for your blog, even though I haven’t gotten any work done since this weekend!!

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TDog46(12:04:19) :

Love your blog!

So, the only other Guv to give birth while in office, Jane Swift, is being trotted out by the republicans today.

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Emily(12:04:31) :

oops, sorry I messed up the link. It points to the NY Times editorial.

3092008

chunkalove(12:07:44) :

I agree with Eecee – please write or call Lyda Green and Andrew Halcro. Encourage them to speak their truths and not be intimidated by Camp McCain. I am sure they are sending the strong-armers to “convince” them to be silent. We need the truth – whatever it may be – good or bad. PLEASE let Green, Halcro, and whomever else know that they have our support and encouragement.

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PalinGate(12:08:16) :

YAAAAY!!!! CNN just reported that toss-up states are all moving towards Obama!!

3092008

TDog46(12:08:21) :

Jane Swift said, before all this:

““I know now that it was virtually impossible for me to take advice and make decisions when I was responding emotionally as a mother, not thinking rationally as a public official,” she wrote in an essay in Boston magazine.”

MSNBC and all your TV shows may be interested in a little tiny blog
that is rapidly ( and this writer does indeed mean rapidly ) gaining not only national but international attention.
I have begun to read it faithfully every day and I find it far more informative than any reports from any TV News stations
of late.
The blog is written by a citizen of Alaska.
Never say you were not made aware, even though MSNBC makes it extremely DIFFICULT to contact anyone.

MJC yes it would. I know in Minnesota they tend to leave the special education budget alone. ARC, a non profit in Minnesota that is a force to be reckoned with, is always on their butt about increasing, not decreasing it. So assuming for the moment she did slash it, she is not going to get any sympathy from special needs parents. As it is, if you have a special needs child you have to fight for everything you can get from the school. And even though the feds are suppose to pay money to the states for special ed, they are really behind on that.

There’s only really one issue, outside of the fundie teachings as to the daughter, that matters as to Babies.

That issue is the baby Palin says she had, is 4months old, and is a “Special Needs Baby!

The Baby that neither Her nor the Father seem to be in a hurry to Bond With in the first year of Bonding for any child, but Especially a “Special Needs Child”!

Are there medical complications which many “Downs” babies go through, most can be treated, is the baby healthy enough to survive a long term life…………………………………………………..,there are Many questions that should be answered, Especially as Palin seems to be using the baby as a political point!

But Most Of All, in the first years of a “Special Needs” babies life the Most Important is the bonding process with the Mother and Father, Especially the First Months of that childs life!!!!

McCain should have Understood and Never offered, Palin Should Never Have Accepted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3092008

John Henry(12:10:21) :

First, is the belated McCain vetting team, that landed yesterday,

I can only laugh to keep myself from crying. Looks like he’s also a “victim” of faulty intelligence.

Then there’s progressive talk show icon Ed Schulz. He’s hosting a town hall meeting at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. A thousand Alaskans will cough up between $25 and $100 to stand before the microphone and tell the world exactly what they think of Sarah Palin. The show will be played back on September 15th.

Yes! I hope CSPAN is there.

3092008

kimbers(12:13:15) :

“If CNN is willing to be reprimanded by an old fart, then they aren’t worth my viewing.” Mine either. Since I’m on a roll today, I called them and told them it wasn’t very becoming for their reporters to be acting like that on the air. It made it hard to claim impartiality when Kyra was drooling over a basketball. ; )

This whole thing is really making me really cranky and not very tolerant.

On a happier CNN note, thank god for Cafferty!

3092008

stillonmt(12:13:20) :

One thing about baby Trig is that he has no worries about health insurance with the governor on his birth certificate. If Bristol was the listed mother I would assume that he would have had to go on medicaid. Insurance is important to all kids and especially special needs kids.

3092008

rpahk(12:13:42) :

any thoughts on the likelihood of a Downs baby thru incest? Or sex with a close relative?

Mudflats: glad to see you posting…..was concerned the McSame swat team found you when I did not see anything new this morning Seattle time!

3092008

sprite(12:14:14) :

“The newest rumors starting to get teeth involve Track Palin and 3 friends being arrested for vandalizing several school buses. Troopers showed up. And yes, this is Mike Wooten’s area. Bus-gate.”

“Her oldest son, Track, lived in Portage during most of his senior year in high school. He played junior major hockey. During an interview at the National Governors Association conference in 2007, she told a Free Press reporter that her son went back to Alaska in March to graduate with his class.”

3092008

PalinGate(12:15:57) :

I wish Barack Obama would jump in to take McCain’s place on Larry King!!!!!!!!

Obama’s people – if you’re reading this, please consider that!!!!!

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Phil(12:17:16) :

Thanks so much for your blog!!! It has been so refreshing since we finally get to hear the truth! She is fast becoming the media’s “new darling” and totally getting a free pass, in my opinion. When you mentioned that she belongs to the Assembly of God church, that explains it all. They are to the extreme right of the Christian group almost to the point of being fanatical. They make the Saddleback Church and Pat Robertson’s group look like agnostics! Please keep it up. We need to hear the truth!!!

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mde(12:18:17) :

rpahk (12:13:42)

If you google a little you’ll find the answer is that there is no increased incidence of Down’s with incest.

3092008

snoey(12:19:21) :

Leave the family drama for the Enquirer. The McCain campaign is focussing on it, so they must be trying to draw attention away from something worse.

Does anyone know what books she didn’t want in the library? Trying to ban Harry Potter or something like that would drive home how far right she seems.

3092008

PalinGate(12:19:32) :

I think I have mudflatitis.

3092008

Trish(12:20:45) :

Karya Phillips from CNN was on just a bit ago from Wasilla. She’s gushing over Sarah, showing her basketball, her trophy, interviewing her church people, and the mayor. Nothing but praise. Karya said she would like to hang out with Sarah, have a beer and just get to know her. No tough questions, just a girly thing.

She tried to force the Wasilla librarian to replace their copy of Hillary’s “It Takes a Village” with her autobiography “I Gave Birth to a Village.”

3092008

PalinGate(12:23:42) :

Tell the idiot on CNN that if McCain would have done a proper job of vetting Palin, the media and the rest of the world would have to.

3092008

mde(12:25:34) :

A bit of warning about tonight that is eerily reminiscent of GWB in previous campaigns comes from CNN:

Regarding expectations for the night, another senior adviser said, “The Democrats and the media have done a great job lowering expectations. We’re going to raise some expectations tonight. The elites will never give her her due, or middle America its due.”

“She is going to really going to connect with blue collar voters — illustrate that she has a common touch with an executive presence,” the aide said.

3092008

MJC(12:26:43) :

Tammy: I cut and re-pasted your post here. I think it is significant.

This is horrid! Trig’s bills will be paid for by the state, but what about all the other Special Needs kid’s education in Alaska, since Palin slashed there budget 62%?

That would be great if the media can pick this up. People through out the U.S. will be disgusted as well! You are so right, this is DISGRACEFUL!

Sarah Palin Slashed Special Needs Education by 62%

For those of you who seem so enamored with Gov. Sarah Palin, it might be worth noting that she oversees the budget for the Department of Education and Early Development Special Schools in Alaska.
These funds provide supplementary educational services to students with severe disabling conditions and the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy. The resident school where the child would normally be placed does not have the resources to provide an adequate educational program. Without the supplementary services the child’s needs would not be met by the local school district in most cases.
The following programs are included within this component:
Special Education Service Agency (SESA)

This is a cut in special needs services to children in Alaska of 5,109,300 , or 62%.

So, as the Alaska State Budget description states, “Without the supplementary services the child’s needs would not be met by the local school district in most cases.”

Did 62% of all of the special needs children in Alaska stop having needs once Gov. Palin took office?

Before we get so excited about Gov. Palin bring her “Reformer” agenda to Washington, perhaps we should get to know a little more about what exactly that means to our children, and the opportunities that she would “Reform”.

If you ask me, a 62% cut in these funds, which we all know are so desperately scarce, and for which we all have to fight tooth and nail for our children, is a disgrace.

3092008

curveball(12:28:56) :

The canoe from Alaska just arrived in Honolulu. We are now enjoying this blog. Actually thanks to ilind.net. Sounds like you all are going to have a very interesting week…Aloha

3092008

Dish it(12:29:02) :

sprite @ 12:14:14:

Just think, if they’re willing to send him to Michigan for vandalizing a bus, imagine where they’d send him for knocking somebody up. Boot camp?

3092008

Ckelly(12:29:50) :

Is it me or does that US cover make it look like that is the first time she has held that baby?? She looks really awkward holding him. humm, now that I think of it that is the first picture I have seen of her holding that baby! I love how Trig is pawned off on her daughters, getting them all ready for teenage motherhood I guess!

3092008

HamletsMill(12:29:50) :

snoey (12:19:21) wrote:

“Does anyone know what books she didn’t want in the library? Trying to ban Harry Potter or something like that would drive home how far right she seems.”
————————————————–

snoey,

PalinGate (11:25:34) : pposted above:

“New York Times is carrying the story of the librarian who was fired for speaking out against censorship…

The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to “resist all efforts at censorship,” Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article.”

Yep. That list of books would be a huge smoking gun! If she did an interview (or in the Biden debate! in front of the entire world) she could be asked the reasons why a certain book title was asked to be removed. That would be explosive! (Unless it was “Catcher in the Rye” which is (yawn) always asked to be removed by small town school boards!

Looks like some new vetting questions next time out will be:

(1) Have you ever paid for sex?

(2) Have to ever used drugs?

(3) Have you ever committed health insurance fraud regarding a family member?

(4) Have you ever used political intimidation over a public employee to have books removed from a library?

From over at DKOS that was posted awhile ago, A good explanation of a number of reports I heard early this morning about her Speech, being written by others!

3092008

An Alaskan Republican(12:30:33) :

I am a school teacher in the state of AK. It is nice to know that my governor supports what we are trying to do. Wow! What an upstanding woman! Cuts funding for Special Education and wants to ban books! Oh and none of her kids are in school right now! That paints a pretty picture!

I know what you mean about the CNN Kyra Phillip’s interviews! She is portraying Palin as just the all American “girl next door” that you would love to have a barbeque with, go hunting with, grab a beer at the the local saloon with, etc., etc.

I can’t get enough of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow! It is obvious where they stand politically. I also applaud Campbell Brown of CNN and Norah O’Donnell of MSNBC because they don’t pussyfoot around with the questions! I have no idea where both of these women stand politically, but I am enjoying their “hold their feet to the fire” interviews! The rest of them like Anderson Cooper, John King, Chris Matthews, Andrea Mitchell, etc. are just too whimpy!

Regarding websites that previously had Palin-related info now being scrubbed clean or shutdown: The “Wayback” Machine website will accept a web address, then display what the page looked like weeks, months or years ago.

Another line of reasoning concerning the circumstances of Trig’s birth: like any other mother, Sarah went into labor shortly after returning home from Texas and at some point late evening or early morning, drove to the local hospital and delivered at 6:00 a.m.

After the birth, while recovering in her hospital bed and chatting with Todd, she thought, “whew – I could have had that baby on the plane – or worse – in Texas,” and they both agreed that he could have been a fish picker! She floated this idea to a few people and got a great reaction which helped reinforce her image as a larger than life dynamo – almost a modern-day Paul Bunyan.

Anyway, the story snowballed in ACTUALLY HAPPENING – you know that pesky line between truth and fantasy and soon it became reality. Of course, Sarah did not anticipate the huge interest in the funny story and the labor/birth saga became big news – everyone was talking about this super mom/governor who gave a speech while in labor and flew across North America with amniotic fluid leaking. Now, she can’t backtrack – how would that look? But, she has to field the fallout from her tall tale.

This is my guess.

3092008

Rene(12:40:56) :

Don’t know how to link, but Talking Points Memo has some fun with open mikes.
Noonan and someone. Can anyone bring the Audio over here?

Yep, expect continuation and reinforcement of the emergent GOP stonewall theme that ANY criticism of Palin’s political experience and public policy views are out of bounds, and are nothing more than Godless Democrat/Liberal Sexist Politics of Personal Destruction Smears.

Alternative Viewing For Palins Acceptance BSNo Country For Old Men ( HBO )
Tennis U.S. Open Quarter Finals
Mad Men
PBS

Alternative Viewing For McSames Acceptance BS

FOOTBAL !!!! Seasons Starts Thursday Night!
no brainer for me LOL

and MSNBC Rocks ! ( excepth for these 2 speechs on any channel )Olbermann and Maddow…now there’s a ticket !

3092008

rpahk(12:42:29) :

from DKos a few minutes ago:

The founder of the Alaskan Independence Party was killed in “a plastic-explosives sale gone bad?” Excuse me?

Is that what “hockey moms” are up to in Alaska these days? Hanging with fringe party types who get killed in plastic-explosives deals and turn up wrapped in a tarp and duct tape, dumped in a gravel pit?

Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy on MSNBC didn’t know their microphones were still on – you have to listen to them talking candidly about the GOP’s choice of Sarah Palin.

I ran here as soon as I could. This is video/audio is posted on Talking Points Memo by Josh Mitchell. Really. This is GREAT stuff.

3092008

JudiB(12:45:22) :

Yes, MA Jane Swift dropped out of the race due to BAD numbers!
Used the MA state helicopter to run home and her staff to babysit for
her twins.

3092008

MJC(12:45:24) :

I bet Palin, Bristol, Levi, and Trak are going to be plastered all over mainstream magazines and Teen Magazines for the next couple of weeks! Great role models for our kids! I can almost envision them on “The Hills” reality show! If they get to the Whitehouse, the whole family will probably be starring in a weekly Reality show of their own called “Whitehouse 90210” or whatever the zip code is.

3092008

DS(12:45:38) :

I am annoyed by the praise Palin receives for choosing to deliver a Down Syndrome baby, yet clearly she does not spend much of her time caring for the baby, and she returned to work only 3 days after his birth.

It’s as though they can’t see the contradiction, the irony, of praising this woman as a model of family values when she is obviously more devoted to her career than her children.

The Empress has no clothes!

3092008

Ana Gama(12:46:16) :

Poll gives Obama edge in two of three key states

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) — A new poll suggests that Barack Obama is widening his lead over John McCain in two battleground states but indicates the race is dead even in Ohio, the state that decided the last presidential election.

In a CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corp. survey out Wednesday afternoon, 55 percent of Iowa registered voters who were questioned said that Obama, D-Illinois, is their choice for president, with 40 percent backing McCain, R-Arizona. That’s more than double the lead Obama had in a University of Iowa poll taken early last month.

“Obama is winning in all regions of the state — even in the western counties where George W. Bush beat John Kerry by 17 points,” said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “Obama is winning rural voters in Iowa — not something you see in many other states.”

Iowa’s caucuses kicked off the presidential primary season and launched Obama towards the Democratic presidential nomination.

“Iowa was Barack Obama’s breakthrough state. He won the Democratic caucuses with a powerful organization. John McCain barely competed in the Iowa Republican caucuses. He came in fourth,” said Bill Schneider, a CNN senior political analyst.

“Obama retains a strong organization in Iowa, where McCain is just beginning to get started,” Schneider said.

It appears to be a similar story in Minnesota, where the Republicans are holding their national convention this week.

The poll indicates that Obama has a 12-point lead over McCain, 53 percent to 41 percent.

That’s up slightly from a 10-point lead Obama held in a Humphrey Institute survey taken last month.

To Ian 11.33…OMG!!!!!! That pic of the gov 3 days before she gave birth…craazzzy!! My head is truly spinning!!!! Someone needs to send this link to the National Enq and MSM here it is againhttp://www.alaskapffa.org/

3092008

sosad(12:47:42) :

HEY !!! The McBlowhard camp just said you are NOT permitted to speak of Queen P that way ..

3092008

PalinGate(12:49:15) :

Sue – great link!!! Why cant those reporters tell the truth like that when they know the camera is on them?? Why does the “truth” only come out by accident??

3092008

Nightmare in America(12:50:04) :

Maybe Kyra Sedgewick was told to kiss up to Sarah so she won’t diss CNN like McBlame.

3092008

Parker CA(12:50:21) :

According to “Fresh Air” the republican operatives are in AK and have been answering media inquiries on behalf of government officials. Oh, yeah, that’s perfectly normal. They are up there doing anything they can to intimidate the people into keeping their mouths shut and to sweeping mess after mess under the rug, or as one of the AK natives said, “its like a cat in the litter box covering up its crap.”

None of these accusations are seeming to stick to the Teflon characters of the republican party, as is always the case. Right-wingers were quoted at the beginning of this debacle that she has an incredible tough layer of Teflon, and that anything would deflect quite easily.

If these blogs don’t keep hammering away, getting the news bits out there, and forcing the issues into larger media circles, we will be on seriously dangerous ground. Palin will smash it out of the park tonight and energize their convention and their base even further than it already is, and the Giulani will come in and destroy Obama on stage.

The honeymoon will come to an end in a few days, and if the media still is denied access to Palin, I can’t imagine there not being a backlash towards McCain’s campaign. That said, there are still way too many people, even democrats, that do not fully understand the disaster this woman is posing to our country.

Everyone needs to email their friends on the big issues this woman supports that still haven’t gained traction in the MSM; anti-abortion even for cases of rape and incest, believer in creationism, refutes global warming as a man-made issue, and not supporting sex-ed or birth control.

These larger issues involving Palin’s hypocrisy and corruption will not be as widely heard and understood as will her clear values and religious beliefs. People will identify much more easily and form a judgement much more quickly based on abortion, religion, etc. The neo-cons are using this tactic much better than the dems are. They realize this is about values and beliefs rather than issues of economy, housing, foreign policy etc.

Push this information out to everyone you can, even if you think they are dems. These issues carry a lot of weight on either side of the line, and people will be more inclined to really get out and vote when they realize what is truly on the line in November.

Obama / Biden ’08

3092008

tammy(12:52:39) :

Too bad they won’t say that on the air.

Anyone know how to contact Keith Olbermann directly?

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sosad(12:54:17) :

Track is a colorful name for a kid ,, it will go right along with the marks on his arm after a bout with heroin by the time all this is over..

3092008

Phil(12:54:51) :

Sue,

Thanks for the link to the YouTube clip with Noonan!!! It is absolutely classic!!! So glad you were able to catch that and post here!!!! Thanks again!!!

3092008

LaughingAt...(12:56:39) :

mudflatitis, lol. me too.
had to go into real life for 2 hours, and i missed the next scandal breaking. couldn’t wait to get home, will order pizza for dinner!
i did take time to link to those great media contacts. the book banning and the AIP stuff.
new usweekly not on the stands yet. i will buy one?!? lol. putting it the car window with a sign that says “class act, john”
don’t worry, not the baby.
i still don’t believe it though til a REAL wasilla gal tells me.

3092008

kimbers(12:57:39) :

Thanks Sue!

One one hand it does kind of lift my spirits to know even the talking heads don’t believe the nonsense they spew.

One the other hand how sad that people actually form opinions and vote based on what these people say.

there is a very complicated process that goes on as you bond with your special needs child. You learn through this bonding to have strength, to be ready to fight, to care more about your child than the people who will hate you because you want them to honor your child’s rights at school, approve your child’s needed health care, etc.

you do that because through bonding you learn – this is a child. Like any other child. This child has a personality, intelligence, and gifts to give the world – even if they cannot speak. (no one knows yet what Trig’s abilities will be.)

it is sometimes hard. NOT because our children are “hard” to love – but because our society is so repugnantly dysfunctional at teaching us to truly love. Kind of ironic isn’t it – I was always taught this was Jesus’ main message. The meek will inherit the kingdom of heaven.

even for those who might find it easy and natural, all the negative images in our society aimed at our families and our children will threaten the determination and resolve of the most steadfast, the most loving parent. So it’s not “easy” for most people to shut out the ugly world and just let love do its work. then go back out and fight that ugly world for that loved child.

and the people (bureaucrats) who constantly screw with our lives and make already heartbreaking medical situations almost unbearable do so with a good conscience because they do not have that bond with our child. They do not understand.

so my worry is: is Sarah bonding with Trig? Who is? Has she done anything for Trig or for my child in our government since he has been born? No. Maybe its early yet, but what I’m saying is – if they don’t bond in this first year. That may just not happen. The people who bond with Trig, care for him, and have to fight for his rights in school and at the insurance company and for services – they are the ones who would change things in this society. But they won’t be Sarah.

Parenting a child like Trig cannot happen in absentia. It simply can’t. So I’m thinking – don’t look to Sarah to support our kids. Maybe Grandma should run?

3092008

marti(13:08:00) :

I really have work to do, I have a day off and I can’t seem to get anything done except read this blog and monitor this twilight zone we are in. I was remembering a couple other examples of the type of person sarah is: a supporter of her’s recently wrote a letter to the editor of anchorage daily news saying how he thought it wrong of her to fire Monegan etc. and she called this guy up and gave him hell for publicly dissing her decision. This is verified on Halcro’s blog (which like this one has the facts down pat). Also remember during dairygate when she showed up tour the dairy – the staff refused to give her a tour!? The report on that was pretty funny. (ADN) have no idea of the date.

3092008

Eeecee(13:09:40) :

I can’t get anything done. I’m obsessed with this. God help us.

3092008

Sue(13:13:08) :

The thing that disturbs me about the YouTube clip of Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy dissing the GOP and the Palin choice is that Chuck Todd of MSNBC is sitting there, participating in the chat and knows what these two talking heads really think. Despite that, MSNBC broadcasts all the Republican-line crap these people want to say on the air – knowing (not suspecting, but KNOWING) that it is absolute and unadulterated bulls**t.

Everything is an infommercial….I know how naive I sound, but it’s one thing to interview people and suspect that they are handing you a line of crap; it’s another thing to know that what they are saying is a line of crap and giving them a forum to spew the crap anyway.

What is the news media’s responsibility to the electorate?

dammit.

3092008

Cain(13:15:11) :

You must listen to this: Peggy Noonan & Mike Murphy both conservatives inadvertently caught in an open Microphone, talking about McCain & his VP pick.

“This child has a personality, intelligence, and gifts to give the world ”

I’m an old fart, have known or seen many “Special Needs” children and adults, and in most cases walk away thinking they Are One Hell of Alot More Intelligent,Caring,Understanding…………………….., than so called Normal People, myself included!!

One of my nieces has a ‘Special Needs’ Child, and we have a very large family, abit over a year old, we just spent a number of days with them, and the family, due to the death of our Father at 90yrs. old, only a couple of weeks ago. The Mother and Especially the Father Rarely let her out of their arms while playing with her or just holding her, this child is also blind and deaf, yet you could tell a Great Bond had been established and the Child knew it!!!!!!!!!

3092008

JT(13:21:21) :

Don’t you wonder what they are really thinking? I can’t believe that some of those higher ups in the GOP aren’t really thinking WTF, yet can’t say anything. If they say anything negative the election is really lost for them. So they keep smiling, cheering on McCain’s wonderful choice of Palin and dismissing any Palin-negative info as a radical left smear campaign.

3092008

An Alaskan Republican(13:22:16) :

I just found this. I would like to know if any of the 400 voters in Alaska were from RURAL Alaska. I mean off the road system, not Wasilla, not Palmer, not Healy. I am talking RURAL. These surveys are such a poor description of our state. WooHoo! 400 voters in Anchorage, big deal.

“American Viewpoint conducted 400 interviews with registered voters in Alaska on the evening of September 2, 2008 on behalf of McCain for President. The margin of error for the entire sample is +/- 4.9% at the 85% confidence level.”

We’re all sitting here in front of our computer screens watching this fiasco unfold (I liked the person who wrote in to CNN and called this “Katrina for the rest of us”), but I’m cheered by the fact that Obama and Biden are out there right now, meeting people, holding rallies, drawing out record numbers of supporters. It shows that Obama runs a top-notch campaign organization — something I can’t say for the McCain organization, based on what I’ve witnessed these past few days. Tell me, isn’t that “executive experience” too?

3092008

MJC(13:23:51) :

Does anyone know if Levi, Track, or Bristol graduated from Highschool or have they dropped out of school? What’s the real deal?

3092008

Diva(13:24:55) :

Sue- how true, regarding Chuckie T. He rarely even tries to appear impartial, though. I’m glad he was caught on tape. Hoisted by his own petard, as Keith O. might say!

Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy think their mics are off after they go off-camera.

LOL!! Priceless.

I may have to transcribe that.

______

MM 0:21: …Uhm, y’know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world, Engler, Whitman, Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, ….and these guys, this is all this race, just run it up…it’s not gonna work

PN 0:37: “It’s over…”

CT (?) 0:52: “..is she really the most qualified woman…?”

PN 0:55: “The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullshit about narratives. Every time the Republicans do that, because that’s not where they live and that’s not what they’re good at, they blow it.”

MM: 1.08: “Y’know what’s really the worst thing about it? The greatest of McCain is “no cynicism,” at this is cynical…

CT 1:15: “and, as you called it, ‘gimmicky’…”

MM 1:18: “yeah…”

CT “thanks, guys…”

3092008

Phil(13:26:40) :

Something funny to pass along-

I went to the editorial page of our ultra-conservative San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper this morning and there was a political cartoon that had been created by the political cartoonist from the Salt Lake Tribune (of all papers!). It was a caricature of the GOP convention with McCain and Palin on the stage and McCain/Palin signs everywhere, and behind them was a big banner that read:

GEEZER
GIDGET
2008

The caption under the cartoon read “She sure is a lot prettier than Mitt Romney!” I was absolutely amused!

3092008

asneutralaspossible(13:27:05) :

asneutralaspossible (13:08:01) :

I live in illinois – and while we are a so-called “blue state”, i grew up in the firmly Republican entrenched county of DuPage…loved Reagan…even liked Bush jr for a while. I try to remain educated on policies and issues… maintaining a neutral stance until I feel I have enough information to make a sound decision – and love to have found this site!! I continue to be amazed at the comparisons in experience (as if they actually relate), as well as the arrogance of McCain’s campaign railing against the media for the vetting of Palin. So hypocritical! While waiting for all facts to come in – looks more and more like a vote for Obama on this one for me!

That said – I just received an automated call from “VOTER ROLL CALL”, asking questions about – believe it or not – vice presidential candidates. The survey began by asking about Joe Biden (”is he an asset or liability to Barak Obama”, etc.), then Sarah Palin (same questioning for John McCain), even asked questions on the pregnancy of her daughter (is it a question for just the family, or for the public…personal opinion – you want to roll out the entire family for the public to see in an open forum such as a national political convention, including the husband-to-be, then you should expect opinions to be espoused about judgement, parenting skills, policy positions such as assistance for unwed mothers and sex education, etc. How can you not expect that????) Last question – If you were to bet today… who would you bet would be the next President of the United States? It was a very interesting call!!

My thought here is that McCain’s campaign is making these calls to get the pulse of the public… I can’t think of any other reason for a survey such as this to begin now… and having calls made to otherwise Republican households!!??!! Hmmm… the begining of the end?

3092008

LaughingAt...(13:27:29) :

msnbc hacks saying that republicans in AK think very highly of her. she”cleaned the clocks” of the other 2 repubs in the primary gubernatorial debate, the word goes.
anybody remember that?
can anyone get obama a copy? i assume they’re on this.

3092008

PalinGate(13:29:12) :

The problem is… as much as we would LOVE people to actually THINK about the effects this could have on our country, they don’t actually NEED to think about it, because they are quickly given talking points… “Executive experience” “Reformer” “Mother of 5” “True American” … enough of these talking points get thrown out there, all of a sudden, EVERY SINGLE person in the Republican party is saying the same 5 things. They don’t actually THINK about it.

3092008

Diva(13:29:49) :

Regarding the polling call- YES! They are attempting to assess the damage caused by Hurricaine Sarah. Hopefully, they will pull her off-stage mid-sentence tonight!

3092008

kimbers(13:31:33) :

Sue,

You don’t sound naive.

You sound angry.

I am angry too.

Mostly, I am angry at myself for being willing to settle
for opinions over facts from the very people who are paid to
inform me.

Willing to settle for politicians who I really didn’t believe, when it
came right down to it, had the best interests or intentions for the city, county, state or country they want to represent.

No more.

My case of mudflatitis will never allow me to settle again.

Mudflats is the wake up call I needed. The reminder that I may have to live within a set of circumstances, but I sure don’t have to settle for it, I can make my voice heard.

I’m exhausted trying to keep up with the headlines coming out every minute. I agree with those saying we need to get back to focusing on important issues. On the other hand, this is not ‘normal’ times we’re living through, when so many people are looking forward to what the NE digs up.

You know, Last night at the Republican convention, the right wing Republican’s have painted those of us that do not support their views as “un-American” and “un-Patriotic”, and for me, that is unforgivable!

So I really don’t care how well Sarah Palin delivers a speech tonight that was written for her. I support Obama and I believe in him and I truly believe that he will be a Peace Maker in the U.S. as well as around the World.

I am a white female Republican conservative christian from a red state down south THAT WILL HOPEFULLY TURN BLUE,
and I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE!!!!!

3092008

LaughingAt...(13:35:18) :

reading the ambinder column, do you ak’ers think these numbers are still accurate? is there that much pride over this, or are people making honest assessments? thanks.

As of yet, not a single ‘McCain/Palin’ campaign sign in sight around these parts.

3092008

amy(13:38:18) :

Geez, it would have been so much easier for McCain if he just went for Romney as a running mate. Ha!

3092008

LaughingAt...(13:39:52) :

sue the NE? i wanna be on that jury.
suing is like all in a days work there. it sells magazines, too! you go NE (i could never imagine i would have be rooting for the enquirer)

i wonder what mcshame’s grounds are.

3092008

John Henry(13:40:31) :

Here is my theory about how this fiasco probably happened. Note we have to guess at alot of what’s going on with Sarah Palin because everything is a secret with these guys. So here goes:

They were really gearing up for Hillary. No one would have motivated the base more. Not even John McCain. He’s a maverick alright, if maverick is defined as a Republican nominee who’s unable to raise money. And what conservative in their right mind want to run with Lieberman. Palin made a great impression on them early on as a solid conservative, but no doubt they didnt think she was qualified. They figured they play the disunity in the Dem party up until the convention, try all their dirty tricks, and pray to get Hillary nominated. If Hillary were in fact nominated, they’d be fine with McCain/Pawlenty.

But, we didnt give them Hillary to run through their meticulously prepared script to finally beat a Clinton, so they scrambled to find a vp that would really inspire the base, like Hillary would have. They’re experience/celebrity campaign against Obama kept the race even. Biden didnt get a bounce. So they figure a) experience is not driving this race, and b) if they are even with an unmotivated base, they could make this a blowout with a motivated one.

Re-enter Sarah Palin. Perfect! A “solid” fiscal and social conservative AND really popular (thats rare these days) AND pro-drilling. That reenergizes the religious right AND satisfies are largest client, Exxon, as long as we can get her to get rid of that loopy idea about a windfall profits tax.

They figure this out on the weekend when Biden is announced. Lucky for Obama, he announced on Saturday. They string along Pawlenty and have 4-5 days to fast-track Palin. No focus groups, no local interviews with people that know her, no media rollout.

I think the focus group alone would have told them that the so-called sexism is coming from women with young and special needs children.

reading the ambinder column, do you ak’ers think these numbers are still accurate? is there that much pride over this, or are people making honest assessments? thanks.

I can tell you they aren’t right because I live in rural Alaska. NO ONE, I repeat NO ONE has been to rural Alaska to ask and see how we feel about Sarah! I can guarentee that the media and McCain, for that matter, aren’t even aware that there a places off of the road system. Hello! Alaska is just not Anchorage! Do you really think people want to come and campaign in muddy villages that don’t have running water? Sarah loves to travel to Dillingham and Barrow, but can someone find out if she has ever actually be to a village? Does she even know how part of her state lives?

We’ve been called that, tens of thousands of us, for the last 7years, and Worse, and Sadly We Were Right On All Counts From The Beginning, also called focus groups not to be listened to!

Us ‘Nam Vets said we would Never let it Happen Again, the Country said it Would Learn the Lessons Of, well we ‘Nam vets couldn’t Stop It!!!!!!!!!!!

In NC myself, originally from NY, an Indie, always have been, and when you Find the ‘Republicans’ let others know, they stayed Silent as they Allowed their party to be taken over at it’s name to linger in the gutter!

Sorry to be blunt, but I doubt if you’d disagree.

Time You All Stood Up And Took It Back!!!!!!!!!!!

3092008

Phil(13:44:37) :

Thanks, MJC!!! I wish more on the right were as fed up as you are!

3092008

jen(13:45:15) :

Yes, indeed the press and tabloids are in AK and the tabloids have money. Lots of it. These are the guys who pay over $10,000,000 for celeb baby picks! This should be fun.

3092008

Ana Gama(13:45:26) :

The international press and citizenry have been extraordinarily interested in our presidential race this year.

(ST. PAUL, MINN.) – John McCain’s campaign threatened legal action against the National Enquirer today for running a story about McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, allegedly having an affair with her husband’s business partner.

I love how the McSame people say they will “consider” legal action against the NE.

If they lied about ME, you damn well better bet I’d file suit!

McSame & Palin are sunk!

3092008

LaughingAt...(13:51:07) :

thanks ak repub-
i am not surprised.
do you folks feel more neglected by her than in the past? (although from what we’ve heard about Murkowski, he was no great shakes)
a lot of people there paying attention? voting?
thank you so much. i really don’t know what its like to be in a village so remote.

3092008

tammy(13:51:53) :

I saw the new polls at CNN and CNN has be inaccurate in regards to MInnesota for months. It never was a tossup state. At one point they were even claiming Bush won Minnesota in 2004. He did not. Kerry did.

As far as the McStupid camp going after the National Enquirer , go National Enquirer!!

John McCain’s campaign threatened legal action against the National Enquirer today for running a story about McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, allegedly having an affair with her husband’s business partner.

“The smearing of the Palin family must end. The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Gov. Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie,” said McCain senior adviser Steve Schmidt.

“The efforts of the media and tabloids to destroy this fine and accomplished public servant are a disgrace. The American people will reject it.”

The Enquirer also alleges that Palin unjustly fired a public safety official while she was governor of Alaska, but the story is based entirely on unnamed sources. The Enquirer has also paid sources in the past to speak with them, something mainstream media outlets do not do.

“The smearing of the Palin family must end. The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Gov. Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie,” said McCain senior adviser Steve Schmidt.

—————————–

How can this idiot even make such a statement. It’s so totally obvious they have no clue about Palin! Must be because she said so, huh?

3092008

LaughingAt...(13:55:19) :

re: face of the day
maybe the stepford mcshame saw the new poll numbers.
(or the NE cover!)

3092008

DS(13:56:18) :

“The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government.” — Joe Vogler, Alaska Independence Party founder.

Joe Vogler, made the comments in 1991, in an interview that’s now housed at the Oral History Program in the Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Sounds a lot like “God damn America” to me.
I wonder if FOX News will loop this tape 24/7 the same as Rev. Wright.

3092008

LaughingAt...(13:57:51) :

thank you john edwards. sorry, but you weren’t running anyway.
now, the NE has some cred, more than mcshame.
i think nice republican, democrat, and independent women (and men) do not was to see their veep splayed all over the tabloids. and, she’s not the veep, even.
maybe they won’t be as mobilized as some are hoping.

3092008

Diva(13:57:56) :

Hey! Are they gonna fly Caribou Barbie’s illicit lover down tonight for her big speech, too?

Mudflat wrote: Helpful hint: If any of the media wants to stay under the radar, they’d better not show up in suits, ties, or makeup. Dead giveaway.

Are tinfoil hats proper attire or a dead giveaway as well?

3092008

An Alaskan Republican(14:00:29) :

RE: laughingAt…

We have lived year round for 4 years in the bush. Most teachers leave in the summer, but we stayed, so we learned a lot about life in rural Alaska. Murkowski didn’t do much for us either, but the state and the nation for that matter weren’t singing his praises. For me the most frustrating thing is to watch people in the lower 48 become so fascinated with her because of a pretty face and the fact that she is from ALASKA. Big deal! Every one talks about how she came in as governor and shook things up, she was VOTED in as governor. The state was looking for a change. And let me tell you, she took the easy road. Tackling corrupt politicians that the public was ready to see go isn’t a hard job. Getting running water and indoor plumbing for 30% of her state, that is a challenge. Addressing wasteful spending by Alaska Native school boards, that is a challenge. Holding all residents of the state to the same standards, that is a challenge. She took the easy way and addressed all the issues that would really ruffle any feathers. You should look up the mass caribou killing in a remote village. See what you can find about that! She turned in her ex-brother-in-law for shooting a moose out of season, but wait till you see what she did with this mess.

3092008

Ana Gama(14:00:34) :

From John Ridley:

Up in the Twin Cities area folks are speaking a new language. Or, should I say Palinguage. It sounds sorta familiar because it’s Latin based. But different from the plain English we’re used to speaking, in Palinguage recognizable words take on new meanings. Won’t you take a moment to learn some Plainguage so you can talk like a hypocritical conservative?

REPEAT THE FOLLOWING:

If you’re a minority and you’re selected for a job over more qualified candidates you’re a “token hire.” If you’re a conservative and you’re selected for a job over more qualified candidates you’re a “game changer.”

If you live in an Urban area and you get a girl pregnant you’re a “baby daddy.” If you’re the same in Alaska you’re a “teen father.” (Actually, according to your own MySpace page you’re an F’n redneck that don’t want any kids, but that’s too long a phrase for the evil liberal media to take out of context and flog morning noon and night).

If you grow up in Hawaii you’re “exotic.” Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you’re the quintessential “American story.”

Similarly, if you name you kid Barack you’re “unpatriotic.” Name your kid Track, you’re “colorful.”

If you’re a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fully vetting the individual you’re “reckless.” A Republican who doesn’t fully vet is a “maverick.”

If you say that for the “first time in my adult lifetime I’m really proud of my country” it makes you “unfit” to be First Lady. If you are a registered member of a fringe political group that advocates secession that makes you “First Dude.”

A DUI from twenty years ago is “old news.” A speech given without proper citation from twenty years ago is “relevant information.”

And, finally, if you’re a man and you decide to run for office despite your wife’s recurrence of cancer you’re a “questionable spouse.” If you’re a woman and you decide to run for office despite having five kids including a newborn… Well, we don’t know what that is ’cause THAT’S NOT A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK.

The simple fact here is that this is a mom of five children. There’s been a private family matter and she’s been under viscous assault and attack from the angry left. And we’ve seen that today. There’s a lot of allegations and rumors, almost all of them untrue.

So, ALMOST all of them are untrue. That’s just incompetence. If you are going to lie about everything else, you might as well say they are ALL untrue. What are you asking us to keep digging?!?!

3092008

Let'sGetReal(14:03:14) :

Hi Everyone!

Please tell your neighbors, family, and friends to go to Obama’s website and donate, when Sara Palin starts her speech.

On the firefighter picture, note that the entry is 4 15 08, but it is listed as “updated 4 15 08.” The image could be from anytime. Also, the entry immediately after it is from June 11 2007 and was “posted on” (not updated). Further, the file name of the firefighter image is “Palin FFD 06-7 1.jpg”…my guess is it was taken in June of 2007.

Palin’s problem is she’s a virtual unknown. At this point, any story that circulates about her or her family is believable.

We have no history, she has no established credibility, to squash the rumors. It sux but that’s the vulnerable position McCain has placed her in.

3092008

Bob from Texas(14:08:26) :

A long time ago, they rushed to Alaska to get the gold. Alaskans “Bless and thank you for sending the gold to all of us”. I am very sorry for the way the media will portray you in the next coming weeks but take heart. You have provided America with a great piece of gold, Sarah Palin. I want you to know that many, many people in Texas have fallen in love your governor and we will support her with all of our strength. Down here we have a saying, please pass it along to Sarah. “Go and kick some tail”. You are loved.

3092008

An Alaskan Republican(14:08:34) :

Thanks Palmdale!

3092008

curveball(14:08:39) :

The State of Hawaii is very good at sending aid to other states when they have a disaster. We just sent a canoe to Louisiana. Would the great people of Alaska like us to send you a canoe.

3092008

jwb(14:09:55) :

The most important thing about “babygate” is the tall tale Palin told about needing to get back to Alaska after her water broke so Trig would be Alaska native born. That’s the hook to AIP, folks. And it even comes conspiracy-theory free (unless you take AIP to be a conspiracy…).

3092008

LaughingAt...(14:10:50) :

funny johnhenry, u are right! so dig we will.

ak repub- wow! thanks, i am reading words of corruption, but thinking it must be really beautiful up there.
i don’t think the hulabaloo is all b/c she’s from alaska. i think its because no one here ever heard of her. but, thats probably why we haven’t.
there was talk of offering the job to carly fiorina, disgraced hp ex-ceo. (i think it was hp). she got removed by the board if i’m not mistaken, but we’d certainly be rooting arond her closet, or even another mention, bill gates. because theyre not political figures, we don’t know so much about them either. jeez tho, carly probably looks a whole lot better now….

Wish we in the lower 48 understood more about the ecology up there. Specifically, the relationships among bears, moose, native subsistence hunters, and the like. I’ve always figured the subsistence hunters had a great respect for those balances. Today it’s called making decisions that allow for sustainability.

3092008

An Alaskan Republican(14:18:29) :

Oh Bob from Texas, you should be so happy that my husband is not reading this. He is born and breed TEXAS and so is the rest of his family. They have all been so lucky to visit us in rural Alaska and let me tell you they are not supporters of little miss Sarah, so my advice for you is don’t speak for your state, because they all don’t feel that way.

3092008

Let'sGetReal(14:18:31) :

Bob from Texas,

There will be nothing passed to Sara but the hot air coming from the RNC tonight.

A lot of time on one’s hands will produce very little,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,so what I’ve come up with is all the choice words and phrases one can make out of Palin’s name!

PLAIN

“Just get the “L” out” gives you PAIN

LAPIN is french for Bunny, as in Bunny and Clyde (the 2000 year old man and the bimbo)

ALPIN – another version of the tasty cereal ‘Alpen’, but this newer cereal is all chaff and no wheat.

And introduce Sarah to the mix and you get (slightly misspelled) SHARP ALIAN.

We could start a contest!!

3092008

rpahk(14:22:50) :

Alas….so many scandals and so little time. Every time I refresh your page, there is a new one! I need to turn off my PC for a few minutes as I need a break. What the rest of the world must think of the sole remaining “superpower”….

3092008

VP, Flat Earth Society(14:24:07) :

Bob from Texas (14:15:53) :

Anpther mesage from Texas, If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say nothing at all
__________

Well, the bad grammar would certainly indicate that you’re from Texass, but I don’t know………………….you forgot to drop your ‘g’s.

3092008

Kim(14:24:14) :

Here’s another scandal in the making:

Palin, two weeks ago, sat through a sermon by her talibangelical minister in which he said that “terrorist murders of Jews represent God’s judgment against Jews for resisting Jesus…”

Palmdale,
There is a huge uproar going on right now about sustainability. We just had a vote last week about hunting predators from airplanes. Alaska is a crazy place. It is like no place on earth. I have seen the rampant killing of wildlife first hand. The Point Hope incident is not the first, nor will it be the last. Like I said earlier, Sarah took the easy road. She doesn’t want to make anyone in the Native communities mad.

3092008

LaughingAt...(14:24:37) :

thanks palmdale, ak repub-
so, its a hard one to follow. are the troopers really investigating, or paying lip-service? hard to tell coming into it fresh. was it local non-natives being vandals or just way overexuberent hunters that shot too many?
its so sad, wantonly waste like that.

3092008

VP, Flat Earth Society(14:29:37) :

At least we still live in AMERICA, where, when people vote on an issue and turn it down, some judge doesn’t come in overrule it. Like they do in china
______________

1) Can you name a judge in China? And possibly give an example?

2) Were you not yet born in 2000 when the US Supreme Court crowned the mad King George as your “shucks, I’m just a windshield cowboy” kinda guy? BTW, the Crawford Ranch stage set was an idea of Herr Rove’s. It was bought in the late 1990’s and I’d be one mighty surprised chicklet if it doesn’t go on the market PDQ.

Hey, since you’re a “heartbeat away” from everything that goes on there in Alaska, what’s the real scoop on this National Enquirer story about Palin’s affair? Is there any truth to it? Since it seems most of Alaska already knew about the daughter’s pregnancy, surely if Palin ever had an affair, there would’ve been talk at the time. Just curious to know your assessment of this latest potential scandal. Truth or fiction???

What form of municipal government is Wasilla under? It appears that it follows a Council form of gov’t where legislative control is with the entire council, with the Mayor only having one vote. I understand they also have an Administrator.

The point: much has been said about her executive experience as Mayor. Is is true that she was only one vote and many of the major decisions had to be made by the entire council with the Administrator overseeing the staff and municipal services. What are the facts?

3092008

LaughingAt...(14:34:48) :

ya know what else about the crawford ranch? it has sustainable water systems, geo-thermal, and many other such. but he vetoed tax-breaks for doing so in tx, and fought it in dc

3092008

Mary(14:37:12) :

I think the focus of the Enquirer should be the husband. Evangelicals believe in submission by wives to the husband. Who has really been running Alaska?

3092008

The Logician(14:37:29) :

I do believe that the National Enquirer has just set a new land speed record for the breaking of a career-ending scandal.

(ST. PAUL, MINN.) – John McCain’s campaign threatened legal action against the National Enquirer today for running a story about McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, allegedly having an affair with her husband’s business partner.

“The smearing of the Palin family must end. The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Gov. Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie,” said McCain senior adviser Steve Schmidt.

“The efforts of the media and tabloids to destroy this fine and accomplished public servant are a disgrace. The American people will reject it.”

The Enquirer also alleges that Palin unjustly fired a public safety official while she was governor of Alaska, but the story is based entirely on unnamed sources. The Enquirer has also paid sources in the past to speak with them, something mainstream media outlets do not do.

“Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin look forward to discussing the issues that Americans care about, fixing broken government, creating jobs, making our country energy independent and securing the peace for the next generation by bringing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a victorious end,” said Schmidt.

“Legal action will be considered with regard to this disgraceful smear.”

HERE’S THE BEST PART

Notice that it’s the McCain campaign that plans to file the lawsuit. Sarah and Todd Palin aren’t saying a thing. Hide-the-sausage, anyone?

3092008

Kim(14:50:03) :

Do we have the name of the business partner that Palin had the alleged affair with?

I’m really reaching here but maybe Sadie wasn’t wrong when she labeled that pic on her myspace as Trig my new brother lol.

3092008

Charles(14:51:23) :

“Legal action will be considered with regard to this disgraceful smear.” But not pursued since, after all, the truth is a perfect defense to a defamation claim, and they sure don’t want to go there!

3092008

LaughingAt...(14:51:43) :

kim you’re on to something

3092008

Let'sGetReal(14:52:31) :

I just can’t bring myself to watch this…I will just continue to read the posts here.

errrrr!!!

3092008

anne(14:59:37) :

All of this is so depressing. I would much rather she got rejected for her lack of qualification, her repressive politics and her lies.
Yet I must confess my heart leapt at the discovery of this clichéd trash from the NE, because this is the killer app: it heralds the possibility of rejection by her bigoted fundie electorate.

The National Enquirer has more libel lawyers than anyone else on the planet. That story will prove out.

This reminds me of the 1988 presidential bid by Pat Robertson, the last outright, self-declared Christ-o-Nut to run for national office. Rep. Pete McCloskey, a liberal Republican from California, popped up out of the woodwork to say that he served in Korea with Pat Robertson, and that Pat was a sniveling little worm whose main duty was as the squadron’s bootlegger, and that Pat’s father, a Virginia senator in the 1950s, had pulled strings to get Pat pulled out of the combat theater altogether.

After a brief period of chest-pounding outrage, Pat dropped out of the presidential race. He dropped the lawsuit, too. It seems that a few other people rose to corroborate McCloskey’s story.

Governor Palin’s speech, the one she is preparing to deliver tonight at the Republican Convention, was written weeks ago. It has just been tweaked (adjusted? homogenized?) to tie in with the person delivering it.

Tell me again, what can we expect to learn about her from this, other than the shrieking tenor of her voice?

3092008

rasta(15:18:35) :

Well,I am rasta , a retrobate from way back.From the seward highway/diamond mall area to the All-eye-I-saw (north) slope- heads a shout out! Damn we used to party..2wks on..2wks off WOO-HOO! Mat-Su thunderfuck . LOVE the MudFlats. Caribou Barbie must not pass. Please ..I’m calling all true Alaskans to come forward with any and all stories from freeze up to break up on this

3092008

Ralphie(15:19:27) :

I think waiting until after the Palin speech to donate to Obama would make more of a statement. I plan on donating right after I finish throwing up.

3092008

JT(15:27:26) :

Makes me wonder if the McCain camp is actually responsible for this recent affair story. By commenting on the story (especially so quickly) they opened the door for mainstream media to discuss the allegations. And while everyone is standing around complaining about the mud throwing, and how the evil leftwing media is trying to ruin this poor family, no one pays attention to the real concerns over Palin. People want to talk about sex, not real issues.

Personally, I don’t care who she or her daughter slept with.

3092008

sick of hypocrisy(15:34:03) :

Cindy and Rush for President.

Recovering Addicts Party – you can’t beat our family values.

3092008

Susan(15:35:58) :

Do you think, in the larger scheme of things, it is wise to discuss unfounded rumors of an affair? To tempt the MSM, which is barreling towards becoming solely entertainment rags as it is, to cover this story if it’s unfounded?

As an Independent who is disgusted that it was possible to elect GWB Jr. twice, I do not want to see everything come back to bite Obama in the rear. An honest debate of qualifications and direction is what will win this election. Not Britney Spears-type tabloid gossip.

Sorry to be like an old mother hen (and I’m not even a mother), but isn’t one of America’s problems that too many are shallow? Let’s face it, rag magazines and news turning into entertainment is the PEOPLES’ FAULT. If people put their dollars where their values are, these rags would go out of business and maybe there would be less celebrity worship.

Isn’t it sad that everyone seems to know all about Britney and Lindsey Lohan but very little about current events? If it were the other way around, we’d vote for better candidates and GWB Jr would have never been elected (she sighs) TWICE.

They keep saying that Sarah has more experience than Barack. Well, let’s think about that for a minute. While Sarah was the mayor of a tiny backwoods town in Alaska, Barack Obama was teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago. He understands what makes our country and the world work. She hasn’t a clue! She is a expert on Alaska, I’ll agree. However, cross the border and “Our Girl” is lost in space. If the McCain people let her out of hiding from the media, and she’s ever asked a complex question about national or international affairs, she’ll have to answer the way Colonel Clink used to by saying, “I know nothing!”

I would love to give each of them a test on national and world issues including; the constitution of the U.S., world politics, global geography, the economies of the United States and world, the political positions of world leaders on and on and on… Sarah Barracuda would flunk and Barack would ace the test on the knowledge that really matters when you present yourself as ready to lead the most powerful nation in the world.

This reflects such poor judgment on the part of both McCain and Sarah. Picking someone that is so totally unqualified isn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, “Putting Country First!” This whole thing is a frightening farce with our country’s future at stake!

3092008

karen marie(15:57:04) :

jane swift had her own problems while in office. she used helicopters to commute while she was pregnant and after she delivered she used staffers to babysit the twins.

3092008

An Alaskan Republican(15:57:38) :

You know what I love? When the whole troopergate thing came up she said she “welcomed the investigation.” Now, she has filed a different claim stating that she wants a review of the circumstances. Her lawyer says that the personal board should be reviewing this. Don’t you think if Sarah actually new the law she would have known this? It is a scary thing to think she doesn’t even know how her state should work.

This reminds me of a radio program that was on when I was a tiny girl back in the ’40’s — “‘Our Gal Sunday’ — the program that asks the question ‘Can a girl from a small mining town in Montana find happiness with a wealthy and titled Englishman?'”

Love this blog! But dump the idea of who Trig’s father is — it doesn’t advance the argument about Palin’s competence one iota.

3092008

NMJ(16:05:34) :

You should read “A note to all by Anne Kilkenny”. A longtime resident of Wasilla, Anne has known Palin since 1992 and decided to give the facts of Palin’s tenure in Wasilla, since most people were too scared to do so. It’s not a pretty picture.

Her reason? “First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education and PTA/parent organizations.

Secondly, I’ve always operated in the belief that “Bad things happen when good people stay silent”. Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.”

Forget Babygate…that’s small potatoes compared to all the other stuff that’s going to come out; believe me, it’s pretty amazing. Like everyone else, I’ve been tracking this for days, weeding out rumor from fact.

First impression: “How nice…the Republicans have finally allowed a woman to run for VP.”
Second impression: “Wow, this woman wants to send us all back to the Dark Ages. Not nice.”
Third impression: “Hey, she doesn’t have much experience at all.”
Fourth impression: “Well, she’s certainly made some bad decisions along the way.”
Fifth impression: “Good grief! This woman’s incompetent!”
Sixth impression: “Heaven help us! This woman knowingly created and ran a corrupt government as Mayor of Wasilla and also as Governor of Alaska, and routinely destroyed anyone who got in her way! …and she apparently never cared who knew about it because she never bothered to cover her footsteps. In Alaska, she got her way because it was suicide to cross her or question her.”
Conclusion: “Honey, you were just a big fish in a little pond. You’re in the Big Time now, and we’re just getting started on you!”

3092008

Smitty(16:07:35) :

Have you heard that the head of the Alaska State Trooper union (Sear?) is launching an ethics investigation. KO just said that Palin is “demonizing” Wooten. That is all that was said.

3092008

Charles(16:16:31) :

Let’s say, for argument’s sake only, that Sarah Palin did in fact have an affair? I would say that it’s telling when a person fails to practice what he or she preaches or tries to cover-up a perceived “sin” since it may predict how that person would approach matters of real effect on us. I believe that looking into such questions in an area she has placed front and center — her purported traditional, conservative family values — is entirely appropriate in relation to the question of her basic honesty on what she is putting out as a key aspect of her political persona.

3092008

Chicago(16:17:12) :

My caption for the Noonan video: McFucked.

Classic! Still, one can’t get cocky.

3092008

K.Edwards(16:21:34) :

RE: USED PUBLIC FUNDS FOR POLITICAL GAIN

I searched the Anchorage Daily News archives, and could not find anything. Have you got a link for this? I would really appreciate it.

Maybe…the baby has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome syndrome, not Down Syndrome.

Maybe…the baby was born very prematurely, in March, say a week or two before Palin announced her miraculous 7 month pregnancy.

3092008

arusha(18:44:51) :

Have any of you read some of the comments regarding the US and OK mags? Most of the posters support Palin simply because she is being attacked, as they see it. McCain and Palin may yet win…then God help us all…even here in Australia.

Does Palin understand “civil rights?” Although she is an apparent second amendment advocate, in her own emails to Monegan, she supported legislation to stop the “mentally ill” (her ex-brother-in-law) from having guns to “prevent” them from harming people (i.e her family). I thought the law could not arrest people on suspicions –only actual acts. GUN-GATE.

4092008

Linda in Ohio(04:23:28) :

If the McCain campaign is so sure that the Enquirer story is wrong, why are they “threatening” to file a lawsuit? Why haven’t they file it already?

The Enquirer is sleazy, but they are very rarely sued successfully. If they have any real evidence on this story — and for what they pay, someone will talk — you can stick a fork in Sarah. She’s done.

4092008

Memphis(09:40:43) :

Mudflats – ran upon your blog yesterday and I’m addicted!

Keep up the great posts. Love the comments too.

If Hell freezes over and Palin finds her way to Washington, you might as well bank on Elvis being alive too!

Many of us in Alaska heard that Bristol was pregnant back in March (you do the math). That means she’s more like 7 months pregnant, not 5, as Sarah claims.

The Sarah Palin WE know is not quite the benevolent, populist “Hockey Mom” that she claims to be. I just hope that voters become a bit more discerning, and realize that the election of the President/Vice President of the United States is not a beauty contest or an American Idol competition. This is for real, and this is a woman who has managed, through her good looks and charm, to suddenly rise to a position WAY out of her league.

7092008

John Rtan(18:28:04) :

What I would like to know is why Sarah chose a doctor who is not a ob-gyn to deliver her special needs baby. I would like to know why on that doctor’s professional profile (Zoom) she describes her self as having a G.P. family based practice, although she does say that she is regarded as the area’s leading expert on the sexual abuse of children Dr Cathy Johnson. And what relationship if any does she have to levi Johnson also of Wasila and the announced father of Bristol’s baby ?

7092008

tinklepaw(19:40:09) :

Will somebody tell me if the “rumor” about son Track has any legs??? Why did he do his senior year in Michigan? Why does he refuse to tell the reason he has decided to join the army??? The “rumors” I have been reading say it was a stipulation of the “judge” that he join the service on graduation or serve some time for allegedly vandalizing some school buses with three other friends when he was 15. Can the family keep this information from getting out since he was a minor at the time of the alleged “crime”. Somebody in Wasilla must know something about this story and if it is true.

9092008

FACINGREALITY(23:00:06) :

Hey Alaskans – There is also another ‘alleged’ b a b y d a d d y (either this guy is really crazy or he has some real proof ) either way this Palin mess is getting to be too crazy! I don’t know what to think anymore – I pray it is not a H o a x or this kid’s life is over as he knew it! The Enquirer is already saying that Bristol was out there too – we have pics on myspace of her having alcohol but could this new baby daddy video be real? It is starting to make the rounds of the Internet.

Palin is dangerous, is She looking forward to the “end of the World” ! Her hyprocrisy and lying about her alleged affairs (both), real father of her baby, book burning, bringing back the CRUSADES, and firings and hirings are shamefull! Start the
Impeachment people!